


The Fight

by DivineBeast



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alpha Daryl Dixon, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Canon Age Daryl, Little bit of angst, M/M, No Carl Grimes, No Judith Grimes, No Lori, Omega Rick Grimes, Younger Rick, mention of MPREG
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-06 23:52:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12828816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DivineBeast/pseuds/DivineBeast
Summary: Rick is 28, Daryl is 45.Some time in everyone's life, they would be forced to Fight (with a capital F) with a random person. There is no criteria except for the fact that they must also be unpresented. The rules were simple. Winner becomes an alpha, loser becomes an omega, and in the event of a draw, both become betas. The Fight ends at first blood or when someone has been immobile for more than ten seconds.From the moment he could understand it, Rick knew he wanted to be the loser in his Fight. Unfortunately for him, it's now the apocalypse and he's a very late bloomer.





	The Fight

**Author's Note:**

> Another thing I've been writing on the side of my bigger fic which I still need to figure out an ending for... 
> 
> Thanks to my friends Ezi, Khaj and Dis for reading things over, throwing ideas at me, and fixing my mistakes!

Ever since Rick was able to comprehend what his father told him, he knew he wanted to be an omega. 

His father had explained to him what would happen around the ages of seventeen to twenty-two, sometimes later. Rick, just like everyone else at some point in their life, would be hit with the sudden urge to Fight. Someone else would be going through it too, and they would battle whether they wanted to or not. Age, gender, or whether they knew each other or not wouldn’t matter. 

He explained that the winner of the Fight, with a capital F, would undergo the transformation into an alpha. The loser would become an omega. His father explained the roles as neutrally as he could despite the current-day prejudice against omegas. People became betas when the Fight came to a draw. His father told him that alphas were usually the leaders, the stronger ones, the “brawn” to the omega’s “brain.” He instructed Rick that people often broke out of those norms to either be the opposite or to be something completely different, so Rick should never judge someone else or himself by their designation, whatever it may be. 

The betas were supposedly in pre-Fight stage for the rest of their lives with only a slight heightening of their senses and instincts. Because of this, betas were often the ones trusted to protect an alpha in rut or an omega in heat. They were less likely to pull an “I couldn’t help myself” excuse. Omegas in heat were also in danger from other omegas in heat due to basic survival instinct, and alphas in rut would fight for dominance, among other things.

The omegas were the child bearers, but also more than that. They could be just as strong as the alphas, especially when their family was involved. Alphas and omegas often balanced each other in many ways, making them the perfect pair most of the time. They each had their own ways of providing protection, comfort, and love. 

Omegas were submissive by nature, especially to any mate they took. Generally omegas were willing and happy to have pups, even the males. (Later on, Rick suspected that this bit that his father told him was quite exaggerated. Due to modern society, it was rare that a male even wanted to be an omega, and those who were forced into it without wanting to be one were often bitter of their status and refused their own nature as much as they could to the point of ending it all. There was also the fact that male omegas were often abused by their own prejudiced families, making their lives miserable or short-lived.)

Rick had immediately lit up inside at the thought of having a pup. He knew it was something he wanted in his life more than anything else. It was his goal for the future.

He knew, of course, that he couldn’t actually tell anyone that. Not even his father. He could be hurt, or worse, by people who did not or could not understand. He couldn’t even ask his father to buy him those pretty baby dolls at the store for fear of being smacked by his mother or getting his father in trouble with the people in town.

 

His thoughts brought him to another conversation that seemed so long ago…

He’d been hunting with Daryl in the forest around Hershel’s place for the first time. It was a few hours after the failed attempt to let Randall go with Shane, and Rick planned on talking to Daryl about being the one to go with him to drop off Randall next time. 

Even back then, Rick was drawn to the redneck in a way that he couldn’t really explain. It felt like he could tell the alpha anything. Daryl was a little over fifteen years his senior, but that didn’t bother him at all. In fact, it was something that he kind of liked.

It might have been a crush that had resulted in him speaking so openly with Daryl then. He had never told anyone that he wanted to be an omega. By then he was a very late bloomer, which was not unheard of, but everyone presented some time in their life so he wasn’t particularly worried. The oldest presenter that he knew of had been thirty-four.

After a brief conversation about Randall, and Daryl agreeing to go with him, they lapsed into a comfortable silence. 

“So did you… know the person that you Fought with?” Rick asked curiously, knowing only that Daryl had had his Fight at the somewhat early age of seventeen. The topic of Fights was often a conversation you had with someone you were getting to know.

“Nah,” Daryl scoffed, “was some random chick at school. Never saw her again after that neither. She was tiny, didn’t stand a chance.” If it was anyone else, Rick would have rolled his eyes at their arrogance. But Daryl had never come off as arrogant. He was far more modest than any alpha Rick had met before.

“Hmm, I wonder who and when I’ll Fight.” Rick mumbled. “Hopefully not a tiny girl.” 

“Well, would be an easy win wouldn’t it?” Daryl inquired stepping easily over the forest ground. Rick found himself almost tripping a few times on the roots of trees. 

“I don’t want an easy win.” Rick began with nervousness building. He wanted to tell Daryl about it for some reason… but he couldn’t bring himself to be so blunt. His anxiety had him jumping around what he meant. 

“What, got some sorta pride thing?” The alpha had asked with a small look back at him. Rick couldn’t tell what he was thinking from the brief glance. 

“No, it’s just…”

Taking a deep breath, Rick blurted his thoughts as quickly as he could, “Ikindawannabeanomega.” 

Daryl stopped abruptly and turned to him with raised eyebrows.

“Come again?” he asked like a man who knew what he heard but wanted to have heard differently. 

Stomach sinking, Rick found it easier to say it the second time despite the warning bells. “I kinda… want... to be an omega.”

Daryl looked taken aback even though he’d already heard him the first time.

“Why?” he asked incredulously. “That’s… weird. Ain’t met no man who wanted to be that before.” 

Praying the hurt didn’t show on his face or in his voice, Rick looked to the leaf covered dirt and mumbled, “It’s just what I’ve always wanted. Since I can remember…” 

The alpha whirled around and didn’t bother to ask for more details, leading the way back to the farm again and leaving Rick to trail behind him silently.

 

Even though the conversation had taken place almost a year ago, Rick still hurt when he thought about it. Since then, he and Daryl had still, curiously, gotten closer, but with no mention of their talk. Rick was eager to put it behind them if Daryl was willing to forgive him for it. 

Now, though, he might not have any choice but to talk about it. The prison was finally settling and his peas were growing well… It was a good day.

 

A good day for his Fight, apparently. 

His instincts urged him to find his Fight partner while he pondered about who it could be. There were only a few people at the prison that were unpresented. Most of them being children…

He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be relieved or not when it turned out to be Beth. The girl met him at the door entrance, followed by her family and several others who all knew the signs of an impending Fight. 

On one hand, he knew her and it wouldn’t be as awkward. But on the other, the hopes of ever being what he’d dreamed of were dashed. He didn’t mean to be egotistical, but he saw little way for Beth to win. He had height, weight, and muscle on her. 

 

Of course he underestimated her.

Beth was a force to be reckoned with and this proved it even further. She took one look at him, let his unwilling body throw one punch, and kicked him right where it counted. 

Though the pain was great, his relief outweighed it. He would be an omega. 

The Fight was over either at first blood or when the opponent was on the ground for more than ten seconds.

His tears of joy were mistaken for tears of pain as Beth tried to apologize, but he shook her off. “No, no, Beth… thank you. I wanted to lose.”

“Why? Don’t think I can handle myself?” Beth squinted at him with outrage.

“That’s not it at all. I’m glad that I’ll be an omega.”

His words shocked her and their family, he could see, but he didn’t see the reaction he had seen on Daryl’s face all those months ago. He thought perhaps that they would regard him at least as if he was out of his mind, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Thoughts of Daryl’s disapproval soured his mood somewhat, but he didn’t let it keep him down. Daryl could have his own opinions, even if it meant.... Even if it meant that Rick’s secret hopes of confessing his feelings to Daryl were completely null. It would be enough to be friends… If Daryl still wanted to be around him.

“I’m glad you’re both okay,” Hershel said with great happiness. His daughter was safe and the outcome of her Fight had been good. It was all a father could hope for. “Let’s get you both into your cells before the changes start.”

Rick nodded in agreement and allowed Glenn to help him off of the floor, and then they hobbled off to Rick’s cell.

Once he was sure Rick was comfortable, Glenn left with a sad smile.

Rick didn’t understand it at first, until he remembered belatedly that normally during this time before the presenting started, the alpha or omega’s family would visit and keep them company until it began. Even potential mates took part, but it was rare that anyone without a close bond would appear.

Beth would be in her cell with her father, sister, and brother-in-law for a while. Rick had no one, so he’d be alone for the foreseeable future except for briefly when people brought him his food and water. 

Wishing someone loved him enough to see him hurt too much and made him feel too guilty. He refused to feel jealous of Beth’s support. He didn’t want to cheapen it like that. 

Alone in the silence, Rick was forced to think about the youngest Dixon again. He knew that Daryl had been back from his hunting for the day, but he hadn’t noticed the alpha at the Fight at all, or near his cell when he came in. He either missed it on accident (which seemed almost impossible with the amount of attention it got) or he avoided it altogether. 

Rick prayed that at least Daryl would look at him when this was through. He couldn’t stand the idea of never being close to Daryl again in any way. 

The process was supposedly painful and took anywhere from 2-4 days to complete with several more days for re-cooperation. As an omega male, it was supposed to be far more painful for him than the others. His body had to create functioning organs that every female was born with. His canines would also fall out and grow back sharper in that short span. Eating would be essential but painful. 

Rather than brood in his loneliness, he decided to look forward to the future with happiness as he drifted off to sleep. Maybe, if he was lucky, he’d be given the privilege of carrying his own child like he’d wanted for his life ever since he knew it was possible. Maybe.

 

The next few days were indeed painful, but Rick didn’t let the pain turn to bitterness. He was still okay, happy even, with being an omega. Even if he never had a child, being an omega was still something he’d wanted his whole life. Now that he achieved that, he couldn’t be unhappy about it no matter the pain, physical or otherwise.

Carol and a few others brought him food just about every other hour. Normally Rick would take the smallest portions, but not being fed or hydrated during this process could kill him swiftly. His body took up a lot of resources to make his new organs and get them functioning correctly. 

Daryl, of course, did not appear. Rick’s newly heightened sense of smell couldn’t pick up his scent either. Before he Fought Beth, he still had a sense of smell, but he had to be very close to someone to smell them. Now he could smell them from several rooms away. 

His most frequent visitor was Hershel, who was there to check his vitals and make sure the process was going smoothly. 

During one of Hershel’s visits, Rick found himself asking Hershel many questions, hopefully not being as big of a pain in the ass as he felt he was being. 

“How is everyone? The fences?” Rick demanded through his winces of pain as he was poked and prodded. “Do we need to go on a food run soon?”

Hershel tsked at him and forced the omega to lay still.

“Don’t worry about anything but yourself, Rick. This is a stressful time for you. Our food reserves are fine, Daryl’s been out hunting more often than he’s been in the prison. Last time I saw him here for more than five minutes was to check in on Beth for a moment. That man is like a ghost. Beth should be good to leave her cell tomorrow, but you’re still on bed rest for a couple more days,” Hershel ordered, squinting at him with grandfatherly eyes. “You had a bit more to go through.”

Rick knew he had no right to feel envious. That didn’t stop the horrible feeling bubbling up in his chest, though. Trying to keep that particular emotion from his scent, he continued on.

“What has Daryl been catching? Only little things?” he asked, wondering if Daryl’s luck was shit and he could only find temporary solutions to the daily hunger in the prison. 

Hershel shook his head.

“Nope, he’s been bringing home deer more often than not. Think he found a herd near by. He and Merle have been turning it all to jerky so that it lasts.” 

Rick grumbled.

“Everyone’s been having Dixon deer jerky, but I get cold corn and instant potatoes?” 

“You know as well as I do that the jerky is usually tough and you haven’t had the strength lately. You still don’t. We don’t want to risk you choking on it,” Hershel told him earnestly. “I’ll bring you some famous Dixon jerky tomorrow, Rick.”

Rick pondered telling Hershel about the newest development. He wasn’t sure if it was something normal - he’d never heard of any omegas or even alphas craving raw meat. Maybe not straight from the animal, but his mouth watered at the thought of bloody meat. 

His mother had been the omega. She’d abandoned him from when he was very young, only a few years after ‘the talk’ from his father, and he only had his alpha father his whole life. His father had never told him about these cravings, and if it was a normal omega thing, his mother obviously hadn’t told him.

Hershel noticed Rick’s hesitancy.

“What is it? I can tell you’re thinking about something. You’re always welcome to talk to me about anything. I hope you know that.” 

Rick smiled and decided to work past his nervousness.

“Well starting this morning, I’ve been having cravings for uhh.. Raw meat. I don’t know if that’s normal.” 

Hershel hmmmed.

“It’s nothing to fret about. It’s rare, but not unheard of - especially for omegas. I believe the reason that was figured out for this craving for newly presented omegas had something to do with high levels of fertility. Mostly it was women in this case, but a few male omegas have had the urge as well.”

The omega let out a breath of relief. So he wasn’t a weirdo. Good.

“I don’t suppose it would be safe, though. Or even taste good,” Rick sighed. 

“We could singe it enough to be safe and see if you like it tomorrow morning. I’ve always been of the belief that people crave things for a reason. It could be that your body needs the meat. If you don’t like it, we can just get you some extra jerky,” he said with a conspiratorial grin.

Rick nodded in agreement and licked his lips at the thought. He knew logically that the raw meat probably wouldn’t taste as good as his brain wanted it to. 

“You seem to be in working order,” Hershel joked and stood up with a few cracking joints that made him grunt. “I’ll come check on you before I go to sleep and then see you in the morning.”

 

Rick slept through Hershel’s next visit and woke up early in the morning to the sound of someone’s boots clicking into his cell.

He groaned and forced himself to sit up, leaning against the wall and squinting at his visitor. 

Rather than Hershel, it was Daryl with breakfast. 

The man looked awkward, shuffling his boots a little against the cement floor. The plate was held loosely and passed over rather quickly. Rick sighed and expected Daryl to make a break for it as soon as he had his food in hand, but was surprised when the alpha stayed put. The plate was half stacked with jerky, the other half being very slightly cooked meat. Just enough to be safe. He felt nervous with Daryl watching him. But he was sure that Hershel had probably ordered the Dixon to stay until Rick finished his meal like the old man usually did.

Rick plucked at the meat with his fingers and took little nibbles. Later, he would most likely be ashamed of the way he scarfed down the food after the initial taste test. When he looked up to apologize for his behaviour, Daryl looked startled and… something else. There was a thin, bright red circle around Daryl’s blue. Not knowing what to say to that reaction, Rick kept quiet and set the plate on the little side table he had dragged into his cell. 

Rick flinched when the silence was broken by a loud huff as Daryl made his retreat with the plate. Did he do something wrong? Had he lost his friend? 

 

A couple of hours later, Rick hobbled out of his cell, sick with anxiety. He needed fresh air which would hopefully help with his nerves.

Carol caught him at once, narrowing her eyes at him and tsking disapprovingly. Luckily she seemed to understand that he was feeling cooped up, and rather than putting him back in his cell, she helped him hobble outside to lean against the entrance of the D block. 

“So, is it what you hoped it would be yet?” Carol asked with raised eyebrows.

Blanching, Rick turned to her so quickly his stomach clenched with sudden pain.

“He told you?” 

Startled by the quick reaction, Carol shook her head with a surprised look.

“No one told me Rick. You said it yourself after your Fight. Don’t you remember?”

“Oh.”

He had forgotten. He felt instantly guilty for even thinking Daryl would tell the others without permission, even if it was something he didn't agree with.

“It’s a little more painful than I would have liked, but I’m still happy to be an omega.” 

Carol tilted her head curiously. “I’m not judging, sunshine, but why did you want to become an omega? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a man wanting that before.” 

“I suppose it’s not really possible for me now, but from the moment I learned about what a male omega could do… I wanted it,” he said truthfully. “I can’t explain the feeling. It was instant, and I’ve never felt differently.” 

She looked concerned now.

“Why would it be impossible for you to become pregnant?” she asked, looking down at where she knew his gunshot wound to be. “Did the bullet ruin something?”

But that would be impossible since he didn’t have that organ at that time.

“No, no, it’s just… in the world we live in now, it’s not really smart to have a baby is it? Besides, even if I thought I could, few alpha men in the world are attracted to males. When this all started, I thought I might even ask someone to uh.. donate. But I’m afraid that, since then, I’ve grown feelings for someone, so that whole thing is off the table for me personally.”

His stubbornness wouldn’t allow it. It would be unfair to let someone in to knock him up while he was still emotionally attached to someone else. 

“Why not ask him?” Carol inquired.

“He wouldn’t be interested, and I’d rather not risk losing what friendship I have with him,” Rick told her earnestly. 

“But how do you know he wouldn’t be interested?” Carol asked challengingly.

Carol had a way of making Rick want to tell her everything. 

“Because I told him about me wanting to be an omega months ago, and he did not react favorably. Said it was weird and walked off.”

Rick tried not to let the hurt show in his voice or his scent, shrugging at her helplessly. He knew he was unsuccessful when he saw Carol’s sympathetic look.

“Months ago? So it’s someone we’ve known at least since the farm?” Carol guessed, her eyes calculating. 

Rick groaned, not having thought about the implication of his words. There were so few men he could even be talking about.

“Ha! It must be Daryl then. I doubt you’d mean Glenn, and your reasoning would have been different.” 

Carol looked proud of herself for figuring it out so easily, but then looked really confused.

“Daryl said it was weird? That’s not like him.”

“Yeah,” Rick mumbled, not sure what else to say. 

“So you’re in love with-”

“Shhh!” Rick basically flailed at her in his panic for her to be quiet.

Daryl may not have been close, but that didn’t mean someone else wouldn’t hear and tell the alpha. 

“Well, look. You can’t let that stubborn alpha get in the way of your dreams,” Carol practically demanded of him. “I’m sure that there’s someone around here who wouldn’t mind being what you need without expecting the whole package. Hell, Maggie and Glenn are betas, so you could probably ask Glenn.” 

She shushed him as he opened his mouth to protest.

“I know it might be embarrassing, but think of it this way - if something happened to you, you know they’d take care of it. You trust them and few others,” Carol pointed out reasonably. 

The thought was fairly embarrassing, but at the same time, quite tempting. Surely it couldn’t hurt to ask? Maybe if they agreed, there would be a way to do it without Rick having to actually lay with Glenn. 

Carol could tell that the idea was growing on him and looked victorious.

“Look, just think on it for now, and I’ll try to talk to Glenn and Maggie about it first, get a feel for where they’d be at in regards to it. You just rest for a little while longer.”

“I’ve been resting for so long,” Rick practically whined. “Even Beth was out days before me.”

“Beth didn’t have to grow any new organs and can stand up straight,” Carol returned with her eyebrows high, daring Rick to argue the point further.

He huffed, knowing it was a lost battle to argue with Carol. 

Carol wouldn’t even let him go out to check on his peas, assuring him that Hershel was taking fine care of his crops as she steered him back into the prison.

 

“You’re serious about this?” Maggie asked, her tone stern but not negative.

It was the day after his talk with Carol, and Maggie had come in early with her mate to talk.

Rick nodded decisively. 

“I thought about it all night and decided that in the event that you both agreed, it would be my best chance at being a dad like I’ve always wanted. I know I could count on you both with this.”

Maggie took a deep breath before continuing on.

“Okay, then we have a favor to request in return. I decided a long time ago that I’m not ready to have our own pup just yet. Would it be acceptable if you allowed the pup to call me as mom, and know Glenn as the sire, even in the event that we have our own kids in the future? You of course would still be their parent and take care of the pup like you want. We’d be sorta like the supportive aunt and uncle of a different name,” she asked bluntly, but with a hint of nervousness in her scent. 

Rick glanced at Glenn and saw that the beta was in complete agreement. It wasn’t weird to him that Maggie spoke for them both. He knew that Glenn trusted her to put all their thoughts and concerns on the table.

“I don’t think that would be a problem,” Rick answered easily.

The problem before had been an alpha expecting more than he was willing to give in the mate department. Maggie and Glenn wouldn’t ask that of him.

“There is one thing left, though, before we completely agree to this,” Glenn spoke this time, looking hesitant but unwavering. 

“Yeah, don’t blame Carol, but we forced the reason out of her that you wouldn’t just want to find a mate among the people here,” Maggie admitted.

Rick groaned and covered his face with embarrassment.

“What is it then?” he mumbled through his hands, wondering what they could have a problem with in regards to his pathetic crush on Daryl.

“I want to make sure that he really isn’t interested, because if he is, I do not want my throat ripped out by a possessive alpha,” Glenn demanded.

Rick could tell by his friend’s expression and tone that he would have to conform if he really wanted to have a pup this way. It didn’t stop his whining though. 

“Yeah? I’m sure that Carol told you why I’m positive that Daryl isn’t going to care. Adding onto that, Daryl is fifteen years older than me and probably sees me as too young for him or anyone,” he grumbled. “Even if he was interested too, it doesn’t mean he would be happy with having a kid either. What even makes you think there’s a chance?”

He demanded answers, squinting at them through disbelieving eyes.

“The man gravitates to you. Doesn’t listen to everyone else, and the other day he brought you that food personally without Hershel even demanding it. He was concerned and wanted an excuse to come see you. Him out hunting all the time could be a clear sign of his alpha taking over to provide for his omega, too,” Maggie pointed out. “Besides, you could always ‘forget’ the birth control.”

Rick shook his head in denial, not ready to believe any of it.

“On the slim chance he was with me, I’m not gonna trick him into becoming an unwilling father. That’s how you get abandoned. Then neither I nor whatever pup came of it would survive that,” Rick pointed out.

Daryl didn’t seem the type, but he also hadn’t seemed the type to call Rick weird and then ignore him to the best of his ability after Rick presented.

Glenn sighed.

“Sorry Rick, but I’m not risking painful death by Daryl Dixon.”

Grumpy, Rick knew when he was beat.

“Okay, what do you suggest, then? Shall I confess and completely embarrass myself or…?”

His hope was quickly fading. In order to proceed, he would have to prove that Daryl didn’t want to be involved with him. Regardless of the fact that he already knew it to be true, this was going to be painful. 

“Confide in him what we are planning. No interested alpha would show no reaction,” Maggie proposed. “It’s the safest, I think.”

“Wouldn’t the idea send him after Glenn if he is offended by it?” Rick asked thoughtfully.

The main idea after all was to not get Glenn killed. (Or worse, expelled)

“Nah, he has more self control than that. I don’t know the whole scientific mumbo jumbo, but it supposedly has something to do with you being unmated and a special kinda combination of pregnancy smell mixed with another alpha’s scent. Some sorta instinct to protect omegas from being in danger by being abandoned. He might snap then,” Glenn pointed out. “Most alphas can stop that instinct except for the ones that are close to the omega in question. Whether that’s platonic or not.” 

“So when do you suggest I do this? The man has been avoiding my every step,” Rick asked, resigned to this fate.

Truthfully, he was still happier now than he knew he would be had he presented alpha. Despite the pain of the future encounter, Rick was very happy with the outcome of his Fight. Either way this went, he was still an omega, the thing he wanted, and he could have kids if he wanted even if he didn’t have a mate. 

“Well if you want to be knocked up ASAP, I would suggest before your first heat, which should be in a week according to Dad,” Maggie replied confidently.

She looked rather sympathetic and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Now, I know that if he doesn’t show a reaction, it’s going to hurt like hell. In the event that that happens, we’re here for you, okay?” 

Sucking in a deep breath, Rick nodded and swallowed his anxiety as much as he could. He was fine; he could breathe. He was fine.

“That tells me when, but not how,” he reminded them, fighting not to put a hand on his chest to feel his breathing.

Sometimes it helped, sometimes it made it worse when he was feeling like this. But he hadn’t felt like this in so long it was hard to remember how to calm himself.

“We’ll put you both on watch and tell him it’s just once so you can get used to staying up all night again. You wanted to be useful, but couldn’t be left alone yet for so long,” Maggie suggested as Rick nodded along to the plan.

Daryl would probably be annoyed being stuck with Rick all night when one of them could be doing something more useful, but he couldn’t think of another way.

Once the plan was all hammered out, Maggie promised to tell Carol all of the details and they left Rick to his last two days of enforced bed rest. When Hershel came in later, he remarked about how Rick would have to try harder now to hide his moods from others since his scent was stronger. The old man could obviously smell his anxiety and was sympathetic even though he had no clue what it was about. Rick didn’t let it phase him, more than happy with the thought that he could do that now that he was an omega. 

 

Two days later Rick was home free. Hershel had cleared him with an exasperated but fond smile. The first thing Rick did? He, of course, went to check on his peas. They were finicky, okay?

His peas were doing well, just like Carol said, since Hershel had been taking care of them and everything else in Rick’s garden.

“Don’t know how I didn’t see it before,” Merle commented with a cackle. “All yer damn nurturing shit, not even the peas escape it.”

Rick rolled his eyes, not really wanting to see Merle. At that moment, the man was just a reminder of his little brother and what Rick would be forced to go through that night, if everything went to plan. 

Carol would be staging the thing at dinner. Only he, Maggie, and Glenn knew about it. He didn’t need anyone else sticking their nose in it.

“You know it’s not something designated at birth,” Rick answered while grumbling and shoveling a bit of loose dirt.

Maybe it would be easier if it was that way. Perhaps omegas would be less associated with just being the loser.

“Eh, fate or whatever,” Merle continued on.

He seemed to realize he was being mostly ignored in favor of the rows Rick was carving into the dirt, so he scoffed and walked off. Rick felt a little guilty because he knew that he was usually one of the few in the pack that would talk to and indulge Merle while also getting along with him. Merle had to rely on some of that ever since Daryl laid down the law about how his older brother needed to learn not to be so co-dependant on him. If he wasn’t so stressed he would have sat Merle down to talk. But as it was, it was probably best if he left it for now. He would apologize later.

Rick could only stall for so long out in his field before Carol came to get him for dinner herself, a scowl on her face. God knew the only way they saw Daryl those days was at dinner, after all. Therefore, it was the only time that they could launch their plan. The omega trudged begrudgingly into the makeshift dinner area with a pout. 

“Why the long face?” Tyreese asked with humor tinged by genuine concern.

“Oh, he’s just pouting because I won’t let him do watch alone tonight,” Carol answered easily, startling Rick with how quickly this was going.

“Thought it was my night,” Daryl mumbled around his strip of deer jerky, eying Carol curiously.

His eyes slid right over Rick, but the omega didn’t let himself feel that sting. He’d know for sure how this would go down tonight. No more wondering. 

“Oh, it is, Pookie. No better night than tonight. Our little Sunshine here just needs to practice staying up all night before he goes back to doing them alone. I’d feel better if you were with him for that,” Carol said sweetly. 

“Can’t you or someone else do that?” Daryl replied, trying to push off the responsibility like someone putting off getting the mail. 

“You’ll do just fine,” Carol replied shortly. 

“Don’t have to talk about me like I’m a dog that needs to go out,” Rick growled, though his attitude vanished as soon as Dr. S placed a big plate of slightly singed raw meat in front of him.

It hadn’t been Dr. S in his cell checking on him because the process of presenting was always best left with someone that the person was close to in case of complications with scent and instinct. He simply didn’t know Dr. S all that well compared to Hershel, who he trusted with his life.

While he wolfed it down, Dr. S nodded approvingly.

“Very good. This likely means your fertility is very high. That’s healthy for a new omega.”

Rick puffed up with pride. He would happily get fat off meat alone. 

“Isn’t it a bit useless to waste both of us like that?” Daryl continued on the former conversation, his blue eyes in a squint, though his hands were clenched tightly. 

Should Rick be hurt that Daryl was obviously trying to stay away from him, or should he hope that the alpha got his way? That way he wouldn’t have to talk to him that night. He wasn’t sure, but he let the argument slide over his back and simply enjoyed his meal. He knew that Carol would win out. He took a moment from his meat to look up at Maggie with raised eyebrows, an expression clearly asking “and you’re sure he might have a thing for me?” She shrugged helplessly in response.

“Maggie and I do watch together all the time,” Glenn pointed out calmly. “Doesn’t make us useless.”

“You do it to spend time together,” Daryl scoffed.

And he was right.

“Damn boy,” Merle whistled, “gonna hurt his feelings.” 

Rick growled again, but didn’t speak. He had already told Carol it would be that way. Daryl would fight tooth and nail. He ignored further bantering, noting that Daryl did look mildly uncomfortable after Merle’s comment. Whether it was because he felt guilty or not, it was difficult to tell. Daryl had a tight reign on his scent.

Rick committed himself to finishing his food, not even looking up again when the whole thing was done thanks to Daryl stalking off with a “damn woman, fine!” Rick was plagued with dread and even more anxiety during the hours leading up to watch. What would he say? How would he even casually bring it up? Like he could just nonchalantly say, “Hey, I’m going to get Glenn to knock me up.”

Yeah, right. Daryl would probably ignore anything he said anyway. He most likely wouldn’t want to speak to Rick, the weird male omega. 

Maggie came and pat him on the back before he went up to the watch tower. She was clearly rooting for this to work out. Why did these people bother? Daryl made it obvious months ago what he thought of Rick.

He was the first there. Not a surprise, so he settled down to wait. He was half convinced Daryl wouldn’t even show up. Did he want that? It was hard to, even though he knew it probably wouldn’t go well. Daryl wouldn’t completely disobey Carol, though.

Rick jumped at the sudden noise on the ladder, breathing a sigh of relief when Daryl’s head popped up over the hatch. The omega’s chest seized with barely manageable panic. He couldn’t say something too soon, so he turned from the Dixon to look out at the fences, trying to act diligent when he wasn’t even seeing what he was looking at. 

Daryl immediately went to sit in a chair on the other side of the room, watching out of the windows with a squinty expression. The longer they were silent, the more Rick thought about the fact that Daryl would most likely be weirded out by Rick being pregnant in the first place, judging by Daryl’s comment from so long ago.

The former deputy was already sure that whatever friendship they had wouldn’t be the same after that. Whether that was for better or for worse, only time would tell.

Around two hours of silence later, it was completely dark out and the moon was high, highlighting the alpha’s profile against the window. 

Rick forced himself not to stare, figuring now was better than never.

“I, ummm..” Rick stuttered immediately when Daryl’s dark blue eyes zoned in on him at the first noise.

He was startled at how quickly Daryl was paying attention.

“I wanted to apologize for uhh.. the future? It will probably be pretty uncomfortable for you, but I decided to go along with what I’ve felt since I was little. To be a dad, I mean. I asked a trusted friend to help out with it, so sorry if my being pregnant might… offend you?”

As Rick earnestly went on, Daryl’s face became expressionless. Rick hated to hope, but it was a sign that Daryl felt something, right?

“What… who?” Daryl asked in a monotone. 

“I asked Glenn and Maggie,” Rick gulped nervously. “It would be a completely platonic thing, no one would have to worry about me messing up their relationship or anything.”

He hurried to explain when Daryl looked mildly shocked. 

“So you don’t want a mate then?” Daryl asked with a bit of clear confusion on his face. “I thought that would have been a part of your whole… dream.”

He didn’t say it with disgust, which was another good sign that Rick could at least salvage their friendship if nothing else. The whole thing was going better than he thought it would.

“Well, the majority of alphas think I’m too strange, like you,” Rick pointed out.

He had no intentions of mating anyone that wasn’t Daryl, at least until he could get over the hunter. But Rick feared that would never happen.

“This way, I can have a baby and not worry the father isn’t going to provide for the baby should something happen to me,” he said further. 

“I don’t think you’re strange,” Daryl blurted defensively, obviously tensing up. 

Rick furrowed his brows disbelievingly.

“You told me my dream was weird and you’ve been avoiding me like the plague since my Fight,” he reminded Daryl, wondering what the alpha’s excuse could possibly be. 

Daryl deflated a bit and sighed.

“I was hopin’ you’d forgotten that talk.” 

The omega outright scoffed.

“Forgot? How could I? You’re the only one I ever told. I hadn’t expected that reaction at all, though maybe I should have,” he mumbled. 

“You just surprised me is all. I’d never heard of a man wanting to be an omega,” Daryl explained. “I don’t think you’re gross or whatever.”

“Then why avoid me and fight so hard to not be around me tonight?” Rick pushed, unwilling to believe something good might come of the night just yet.

Daryl huffed and seemed to debate answering or not.

“It’s your scent. It’s changed a lot.”

“Oh, sorry,” Rick apologized.

He couldn’t lie, he’d hoped that perhaps he smelled as good to Daryl as the alpha did to him. Daryl’s tone seemed to suggest the opposite. The youngest Dixon made a frustrated noise, cursing himself out loud.

“Ain’t what I meant. Your scent was already… good, but now it’s much stronger. Harder to ignore,” he mumbled. 

“Oh,” Rick was pleasantly surprised. “So you were avoiding me cause..”

“Cause I wanted to mark you in front of everyone? Yep,” Daryl said bluntly, becoming bolder as alphas normally did when met with the scent of returned interest.

He figured Daryl couldn’t be completely different from other alphas after all, though it was a nice development. 

“Why didn’t you then?” Rick asked earnestly, leaning backward a bit in his chair when Daryl stood and brought his chair closer so that they were about a foot apart. 

Daryl scoffed.

“For one, you just presented. You’ve barely even recovered. Two, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want someone so much older like me,” he reasoned levelly like someone who had gone over it time and time again to themselves. “It made sense you’d want to be with someone younger, like Glenn, someone who has better fertility at the very least. Hell, I was right, wasn’t I? Gonna have his pup and everything.” 

Brain scrambled, Rick blurted the first response that came to mind, which of course was the most embarrassing.

“Would rather have yours,” he confessed, nearly choking on the words. “Been havin’ the most pathetic crush on you for a while even though I thought I disgusted you.”

Daryl’s growl reverberated on the walls almost immediately, a low throaty thing. He nearly dropped his crossbow in his haste to reach over the foot long gap and pull Rick from his chair and into the alpha’s lap.

Rick squeaked in surprise, burying his face in Daryl’s neck and holding on tightly until he felt secure enough that he wouldn’t just slip right off. Daryl nudged his face up so he could put his own nose in Rick’s neck just right below his scent gland, breathing in sharply. His chest rumbled comfortingly against Rick’s. The omega automatically tried to bare his neck as much as possible to Daryl, purring in return when Daryl purred his approval at the move. 

They were lost in instinct for the moment, the alpha biting and licking gently in acceptance of Rick’s offered neck. Daryl’s hands settled, one on Rick’s waist and one at his nape. 

“Not going to lie, I wanna rip Glenn’s throat out right now beyond reason,” Daryl said roughly against Rick’s skin. 

“You don’t have to,” Rick pointed out. “I’m all yours if you want me.”

He made the offer hopefully, trying to settle as much as possible. 

“Only gonna have my pups?” Daryl demanded, biting harder than before without breaking the skin. 

“Yes. You only have to claim me,” Rick returned, his anxiety still there on the off chance it was all a joke. He’d seen crueler ones. 

Daryl’s scent burned his senses like expensive incense, bleeding with love, lust, and possession. That was really the only answer Rick needed to soothe his nerves. 

“Not till you’re knotted up,” Daryl said, pulling back a little and making the omega whine. “We’re not rushing into this on the first day.”

Rick wanted to protest, but at the same time didn’t want to ruin what they were starting.

“My heat might be here in a week.”

Daryl’s eyes flashed and he huffed through his nose as though restraining himself.

“We’ll have a week then. Come hunting with me tomorrow, and I’ll help with yer damn peas the next day,” he proposed calmly despite the way his scent clouded Rick’s nose with all his other feelings, the same ones that Rick was feeling - impatience, fondness, happiness, desire, love.

“Hunting and pea dates then?” Rick asked with amusement, quite fond of the idea already. 

“Yep,” Daryl confirmed, a small smirk on his own scruffy face.

Rick leaned in and engaged him in a slow kiss, pulling back with a satisfied purr when the alpha adjusted him to sit more comfortably.

“For now, we’re takin’ watch,” he commanded, turning Rick so he could look out of the window too. 

As predicted by Carol, Rick was unable to stay up the whole night. Only waking up to shift around so that Daryl’s legs wouldn’t fall asleep underneath him. He immensely enjoyed the alpha’s arms wrapped securely around his waist and Daryl’s nose in his neck. 

 

Beth was the one to find them in the morning when it was time for her shift. Daryl was still awake as he was supposed to be, not seeming to be bothered by Beth’s entrance at all. He didn’t let go of Rick until the omega started to wiggle out of his grip. 

Rick blushed sheepishly but inwardly puffed up in possessive pride when he saw Beth’s eyes flash with a mild jealousy that was reflected in her scent. She was just as new to it as he was and didn’t know yet how to reign in her emotions. 

Purring, Rick turned slightly and gave Daryl a happy kiss before they descended down the stairs and left Beth to her turmoil. She could consider it him staking his claim if she wanted to.

Would Daryl still prefer his perch? Or would he join Rick’s cell? Rick knew how much Daryl hated the cells though. Maybe he could join the perch with Daryl, if the alpha allowed it. Rick was torn out of his worries by Daryl grabbing his wrist and steering him towards the prison and inside to his perch. They could hear everyone still snoring since the sun had just come up. 

Daryl pulled him down onto the scrappy bed, tugging Rick’s back to his chest and using him as a giant teddy bear while they both got comfortable, Rick very happy with Daryl’s muscled arms around him once again. He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of the feeling.

Perhaps they would spend his heat here on the perch, in view of everyone when the time came. It wasn’t uncommon for that to happen, and he could show everyone, Beth included, that Daryl was his.


End file.
